Lyrical Silence
by MisplacedSoulWalkingDreamer
Summary: Moving to a new school can be tough, but being mute doesn't exactly help the process get any better. Roze Uzumaki has been mute since she was about six years old, now just turned seventeen the routine of meds and therapy, medical visits and insomnia are getting pretty old. What will a new school offer? Will she ever speak again? And how exactly is the mafia involved?
1. Me You And My Medication

"Roze! It's time for school." Purple flecked cerulean eyes opened. Boxes littered the tiny room. Roze glanced in the mirror on her vanity, red hair stuck out at odd angles. A light knock followed by a click as her door opened revealed an older red headed female, her mother Kushina. A fair and bubbly woman she smiled at her brightly speaking louder than Roze would have liked. "Rise and shine sweetheart! First day. Brand new school." Roze mentally groaned at her mother as she disappeared probably to wake her twin brother down the hall.

"Naruto! Wake up!" Came Kushina's powerful voice. She held back with Roze but Naruto on the other hand… he was a heavy sleeper, getting the full brunt.

Downstairs a blonde-haired man sat hunched over a piece of paper writing furiously. Her father, Minato, was a writer. Roze enjoyed proof reading her father's work. She peaked over his shoulder as she approached, scanning the paper with hungry eyes. "Hey. Hey now! No peaking until first draft is done, you promised."

Roze smiled lightly kissing the top of his head, "Don't forget to take your medicine love." Roze sighed nodding. Balancing on her tip toes she reached for the box of cereal on the top shelf, her finger tips brushing its edges. She recoiled as it teetered, sighing with relief when it didn't fall.

"Here you go." A loud voice came from behind her as she was lifted. She happily swiped the cereal, turning to face her brother when she was placed down. Naruto's face was split in a toothy grin as he ruffled her hair.

Kushina came into the room kissing her on the cheek and handing her a coffee. "Now Naruto. This is a new school, be sure to help your sister get settled. You two are seventeen now, so I'm trusting that you two look out for each other. I have a big surgery coming up next week and have to spend more time than usual at the hospital." Roze puffed out her cheeks at her mother's words. "Mom she's not helpless. She won't always have me around either." Roze sat down beside her father to sip her coffee. Her shoulders relaxed as she drank. Minato placed a notebook and new set of pens in front of her.

"Come on sis, gotta get there early."

Naruto parked in the small parking lot behind the school. The lot was mostly empty. They needed the extra time though, there were sure to be snags and it was never guaranteed how others would handle a new student with "disabilities".

"Hey, 8 AM pills." Roze nodded swallowing three pills with a big gulp of water. Moving across the country hadn't been too devastating. The worst part being her medication time table and the appointments getting new doctors up to speed. Roze glanced at the luxurious building in front of them unconvinced it was a school. With their grades and their parents' money it was pretty easy getting accepted into a specialized private school. "Yeah hopefully rich kids are a bit more cultured on accepting people who are super different, if anything I'll pin my hopes on the teachers." Naruto offered her a smile before hopping out the car.

"Ah yes, Uzumaki. So the impaired one is your sister then?" A posh looking desk lady peered over her moon shaped glasses at them. Roze glared. "No. She's perfectly normal, hell her grades are ten times better than mine. It's just… she can't speak and need special medication held at the nurses station. She's mute." Naruto huffed explaining for the third time. He was getting impatient, eyeing the watch he hept on her wrist. Finally a tall blonde haired woman happened to pass by and stop, "Are you two finding everything okay? Uzumaki twins yes?" The woman's brown eyes were kind, Roze nodded vigorously cutting her eyes at the secretary. "Linda, I told you yesterday they would be arriving. Why did you think we took a refresher course on student needs?" Her voice boomed loudly, holding power and authority. Roze smiled. "Don't mind her, she's only here when my regular secretary Shizune is absent. Welcome to our Academy, I'm the head of the Arts school here Ms. Senju. Most of the students call me Tsunade." Naruto sighed thankfully reaching out to shake her hand. He explained why they were there early and what they needed. "I see. I'll show you two around, we'll be sure to stop by the nurse's station first. There are three departments at this school. My department being Art, Jiraiya heading the sports department, and Orochimaru heading the Science&Math department."

"The new principle seemed nice, it's kind of weird there are three principles, but I guess that's rich people for ya." Roze signed to her brother followed by a smile. "Yeah the principle thing is weird but there's a whole department for sports!" Naruto enthusiastically signed, yelling the last part. He often fell to signing with her unless he got to excited or was around people who could speak.

They stood by their home room glancing in, it was just before the first bell. Roze bit her lip watching all the students interacting. "It'll be alright sis." Naruto said aloud clapping her on the shoulder. She nodded. "If you're going inside just do it already, some of us are trying to not be late." A silver haired girl pushed past them leaving the door wide open. "Ah, there you are." The teacher stood. He was a fairly tall man with a stock of silver hair. Roze scrunched her eyebrows looking between the teacher and girl that pushed past them. "I'm Mr. Kakashi. I've heard a lot from your previous teachers. About both of you." Kakashi glanced at Naruto who gave a sheepish grin.

"Everyone. These are our new students." He turned addressing the class. "Mind introducing yourselves?" He gestured, leaving the floor open. Roze scanned the classroom. Everyone looked pretty ordinary, nothing crazy or spectacular. "Uh, hi. I'm Naruto Uzumaki and this is my sister Roze Uzumaki. I'm mostly here for the sports side of things." He coughed giving another smile. Roze turned to the dry erase board. Eyeing a purple marker she swiped it up and wrote in large letters. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Roze." She set down the marker and turned around with a triumphant smile. "Why did she write on the board?" The silver haired girl pointed her finger accusingly, her eyes full of spite and irritation. "Well, she's mute." Naruto nodded. Kakashi pointed out their seats and began to give some announcements.

Roze took her seat in the front corner and watched her brother make his way to the back corner. He smiled and immediately started talking and befriending those around him. Naruto was always good at making friends. Slowly Roze turned forward and pulled out her new notebook and pens.

"Freak." Roze's ears perked up, eyes landing on the silver haired girl snickering with a blonde girl and pink haired girl. "Ami you'll get in trouble." The pink haired girl whispered. Roze smiled shaking her head. Turning her attention to the window she caught sight of the raven-haired boy she was seated beside. They made eye contact, his dark eyes boring into her skull for the brief moment before the bell rang for the next class.


	2. Afterglow

"You're the new girl right?" A tall blonde stood over Roze's table as the bell rang for Art. Roze peered up at her from her drawing, her hair was in four separate ponytails. Scribbling on her notebook she nodded, "Yeah I'm Roze." Temari read and nodded. "I'm Temari, I heard people saying you were mute. Let's be friends, yeah?" Roze nodded motioning to the picture Temari started working on. "You draw really well, is that your boyfriend?" Temari snorted. "Nah it's my little brother, Gaara. The teachers fawn over him. They commissioned me to work on a piece in the teachers lounge along with assistant teaching in the art department." Roze nodded pursing her lips in a frown. "Wait so you don't go to school here?"

Art was Roze's last class which she found out she had with Temari's two brothers Gaara, who was sitting with a clump of clay sculpting, and Kankuro, who was meticulously painting doll pieces. Temari graduated the previous year and was taking courses at the college in affiliation with their high school. "Dude, rich school are amazing. The shit we have available at our finger tips, my old school could barely afford to keep the art program running." Temari laughed. "Yeah. I'm glad though, it gives us a chance to build a reputation and specialize."

Kurenai, the actual teacher of the class, was making rounds and paused by Roze and Temari's table. "Not only a talented musician but a talented artist as well." Kurenai studied both their pieces before heading over to where Gaara had sculpted a pretty fierce looking creature. Roze's eyes lingered on the piece for a moment, watching as Kurenai pointed to various things. "Gaara is a pretty quiet guy, huh?"

"Yeah, he's always been pretty quiet, when we were young our father was constantly taking us all to therapy and psychologist. I'm not too sure if it helped him."

"I know the feeling." Roze turned back to shading a tree. "So were you always mute? Not to be nosy or anything but I saw you at the nurse's station taking some meds." Roze shook her head.

The bell rang. Roze glanced up to see Naruto in the doorway waving at her. Roze turned to Temari and gave her a warm smile thanking her.

"So how was the first day of school?" Kushina cheerily dug into her food awaiting a response. "Well in science class I almost set the table on fire… Heh, Chemistry." Naruto scratched his cheek, giving a sheepish grin. "Rozey could you help me with my homework later?" Roze nodded, mouth full of macaroni and cheese. "And how was your day Roze?" Minato asked. He ate carefully with his left hand as he held a pen in his right. The margin of his paper covered in notes.

"Well, I made a new friend today. I think her brother was once a bit like me." Minato and Kushina exchanged a glance. The TV played in the living room on a music channel. Roze's face lit up at the first chord of the next song. As she bounced in her seat she tapped on the table to the rhythm.

"I made a few friends too and talked to the soccer team's coach and captain. People seem really nice, compared to our old school at least." A heavy silence fell. Only the TV blaring and Roze still bouncing in her seat kept the mood from spiraling.

"Alright Rozey, ready for your eight o'clock meds? Naruto can you give her the shot tonight?" Both Naruto and Roze squirmed. "Ah ma' I hate giving her that shot. Remember what happened when I gave it to her last time? And it's painful for her." Kushina sighed folding her dish towel. She didn't look as she spoke. "That's why we rotate sweetheart."

It's not the needle that stung.

It was the medication.

A blind white-hot searing sensation that ripped through Roze's veins. The doctors said it was nature, a newer drug. Other than the pain the only side effects were a case of extreme drowsiness or insomnia, it was always a roll of the die as to which she'd get, but lately a new symptom had been showing itself. The doctors said the pain was normal and this way she wouldn't have to get up every two to four hours for medication.

Naruto sat in front of Roze perched on the edge of the bath tub, syringe ready. "I'm sorry Roze" she gave a tight smile as the needle entered her skin.

Once Naruto had turned thirteen he went through the same hospital run through that his parents got, learning how to administer Roze's injections and what to do in emergency cases. Until he got the hang of it she dreaded his turn to inject her the most. In the last year he'd really slowed down, become more aware of the fact his clumsiness made the process that much more painful.

"There… Ah." Naruto's hand shot out, catching Roze just before she slumped sideways into the counter. There was still a dark bruise hidden by her bangs from the last time he didn't catch her. It had only been recently that she started immediately blacking out, from the pain or extreme drowsiness they were unsure. Other than the very first week she started the medication there hadn't been much incident or variation other than the occasional bouts of insomnia. Naruto easily scooped her up and carried her out the bathroom. Once in her room he navigated the boxes and set her down gently, careful not to poke her with the needle of the empty syringe. With a gentle kiss to her bruised forehead he left the room.

"Did she pass out again?" Naruto nodded to his mother dumping the syringe in the special waste bucket. "Maybe that's for the best." Kushina chewed on her thumb, eyeing the stairs.

Wake up, eat, meds, repeat. The first week was easy, all too quickly things were becoming boring. At least until lunch, Roze had avoided the cafeteria for many reasons. Temari wasn't a student anymore so she rarely had the time to eat lunch between the couple classes she had for the university, assisting in the art room, and painting the new mural in the teacher's lounge. Naurto had his own friends now and she could depend on him forever, she already had to lean on him too much. Other than those two everyone else was… basic, simple. It was far too difficult to communicate in larger groups and everyone already had an established friend group being the middle of the year.

Roze stood overlooking the cafeteria with her tray in hand. With a deep sigh she aimed for an empty table on the far side of the room, that is until she was staring down at her tray lying on the floor. "Oops" Ino giggled. Annoyed Roze quirked her eyebrow. Lunch at her old school was pretty groddy to say the least, she had been looking forward to today's meal. Sighing Roze looked back up, looking into the glinting blue eyes of the blonde-haired girl set her off, the next moment Ino was sprawled on the ground and Roze's fist hurt. The roar of the cafeteria died to a low murmur as all eyes fell on them. Sakura and Ami knelt, checking on Ino. In a huff Roze turned on her heels and stomped out the double doors.

Finding herself out in the courtyard she chose a bench tucked away under a tree. Looking at her ratty converse she studied the faded smiles drawn a year ago on the toes of her shoes. The sound of footsteps grew louder the longer she sat until a pair of sneakers came into view. She glanced up to see the raven-haired boy that sat next to her in homeroom. Sasuke maybe?

She made a face searching for her notebook and a pen. "May I sit here?" Roze froze watching the boy's hands sign. She nodded, hesitantly. He placed a bright green apple on her knee and leaned back. "I'm Sasuke." He spoke aloud, his voice deep. Warm. "I'm Roze. Why are you out here?" Roze glared into coal black eyes. Giving a shrug he sipped on his ice coffee.

He stayed quietly by her at lunch. It became an everyday thing for about a week. "Soccer starts next week so I won't be around during lunch." Roze nodded chewing on her protein bar. "My brother is doing soccer as well, so I'll probably be around for after school practices since he drives." Roze frowned at the half-eaten protein bar and held it out to Sasuke who took it. "Why do you get these if you only eat half of them?" Roze shrugged leaning back on the palms of her hands and staring at the sky.

There was a loud crash followed by the sound of a throat being cleared. Ami stood in front of the them, hands on her hips. "Can I help you?" Roze signed to which Sasuke said "Ami what do you want?" Ami's jaw dropped for a fraction of a second before snapping shut. "You kinda stopped eating lunch with me, or even texting back for crying out loud. What the hell Sasuke?" She looked distraught but not exactly broken up by this. Roze rolled her eyes wishing she didn't have to witness a lovers spat. Sasuke seemed to feel indifferent about the situation, if anything he seemed slightly irritated. "Sasuke. Don't make me go tell my daddy. If you don't come with me right this instant who knows what might happen to that little freak friend of yours. She already decked my friend, so I have plenty excuse to already do something about her." Roze looked stunned. Did this brat just threaten her? Her expression turned to a glare as she sat up straight. Ami turned on her. "Watch it you freak. You have no power here." Roze was about to stand but Sasuke stood first, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Fine Ami. Chill. Soccer practice starts next week anyway." He shoved his hands in his pockets nodding to Roze and following behind the bratty princess.

The school bell rang, and Naruto came running up to Roze. "Hey sis can you text mom or dad and tell them the soccer team is having a quick meeting, so we'll be a little late getting home." Roze nodded following behind Naruto as he sped walk, taking them to the one building on this campus she hadn't been to yet.

On the way she saw the cheerleading squad practicing, unsurprising the princess and her lackies were there. Ami was chatting and hanging all over Sasuke. As Naruto and Roze passed Sasuke looked up catching her eye. "Later Ami. Soccer meeting."

Sasuke fell in step on Roze's other side as Ami screeched behind them. "Sup. You must be her brother Naruto." Naruto eyed Sasuke suspiciously, putting a protective arm around Roze's shoulders. "Yeah. And you're dangerous." The two boys held each other in a long glare. "What do you mean by dangerous?"

"Roze stay away from him." Roze pushed off her brother's hand and stepped away from the two boys. "No. I'll talk to whoever I want." Naruto looked stunned for a moment. Regaining his senses, he glared at the boy beside him. "Quit slacking boys! If you're late it's fifty laps around the school campus." Coach Gai hollered as he was doing hand stand push ups. Naruto hurried quickly over to the group of other boys. Sasuke looked at Roze who fell in step beside him strolling up to the group. "New toy Sasuke?" An extremely pale guy with dark hair smiled at her. His smile gave her the creeps. She side stepped closer to Naruto who glared. "Back off my sister."

"Oh I didn't know they were letting girls on the boys soccer team."

"She's not joining the team. We share a car." The boy tilted his head. "I meant you." Naruto's jaw dropped as Kiba, Shikamaru, and a couple of others laughed. Naruto started for the boy when Coach Gai stepped between them. "This should be settled in a youthful manner! One on one soccer match." Roze sighed. She had a feeling this quick meeting was going to turn a bit long. To her dismay the cheer squad wrapped up practice and the three bitches made their way over. "Is the blondie making trouble for you Coach?" Ami sweetly chimed in, giving Gai puppy eyes. "Not at all! So youthful. Why wait until next week to start practice?" Gair beamed watching the match between Naruto and the boy, who according to Sasuke was named Sai and was Ino's boyfriend.

"I just want to head back home." Roze looked at Sasuke, her eyebrows scrunched. He cocked his head, reaching out to feel her forehead. "Are you okay?" Roze scratched at her arm nodding then regretting nodding. She closed her eyes taking deep breaths. "Sasuke. Why are you with this freak again?" Ami's voice grated on her ears. With Naruto still playing against Sai she had no one else to turn to, with a frustrated sighed she deliberately tried calming her breaths.

"Coach Gai can the rest of the team leave?" Gai was in deep thought, watching the way Naruto handled the ball expertly dancing around Sai's attempt for the ball. "There's lots to learn from watching a practice match."

"Sir, I think you should put the match on hold and get Naruto over to his sister." Sasuke spoke with the slightest hint of urgency. "Ew! What the fuck is her problem? She's bleeding." Everyone turned to Roze. She stared straight ahead, controlling her breathing but her eyes had turned dark and her hand absentmindedly scratched at her arm. Little pricks of blood showing. "Roze!" Naruto ran over catching sight of his sister. "Hey hey. Can you hear me? You have to tell me exactly what it is." Naruto held Roze's shoulders firmly. When she didn't respond he pulled out his phone and called their mom.

Ami laughed turning to the girls "Maybe she's like some mental patient or something." Ami cackled. Sasuke knelt by Naruto. "Hey mom! Emergency. Roze is unresponsive. I'm unsure of which medication she needs or if she needs to go to the hospital…" Naruto listen to his mother, nodding. Roze was still sitting, Sasuke had grabbed her hand, stopping her from scratching even deeper into her arm. "Okay so the purple pills with the seven on them? And if she isn't better in thirty minutes hospital. Got it. I'm sorry mom." Naruto motioned for Sasuke to grab Roze's backpack.

"Sasuke, let's get going. Coach said your practice was over. Leave the freak to her own devices." Ami whined as she pulled on his arm. The others had already dispersed and Gai could be seen in the distance approaching with the nurse. "Ami. Just leave." Ami stomped throwing Roze's backpack out of his hands. Naruto snapped his phone shut. "Both of you get the fuck away from her, if you're not going to help fuck off." Naurto retrieved her backpack, digging and finding the purple pill just as the nurse arrived with water and a vitamin drink. Coach, the nurse, and Naruto settled her on the bench so that she was propped against Naruto.

Sasuke watched on as Ami continued to berate him. It was strange, he didn't know what to do. "Are you listening." Ami yelled snatching Sasuke's collar. Sasuke glared down at her ice blue eyes and shoved her off him.

A guy in a suit approached from the front gates across the field. "Sasuke sir. Your father requests your presence." Ami smirked, hands on her hips. "Lady Ami. If you could come as well."

Sasuke watched Roze's eyes clear. Sighing he shoved his hands in his pockets and followed behind the guy in the suit while Ami skipped along beside him.


	3. Youngblood

**Hello Everybody! The name's Dakota, since I'm on chapter three now I figured I'd directly address the people reading 3**

 **First of all thank you so much if you're currently reading, leaving a review, or adding to your follow list. It means a lot to know people are enjoying what I write, this all came from a point of frustration and feeling lost. I write a lot but when you make something and keep making and never show off what you do it it's easy to lose steam.**

 **The titles of each chapter are random songs. Whatever I'm vibing to when writing the chapter. The character Roze is my Naruto OC that I've worked on the past eleven years. Ami is an old friend's OC. We used to make a ton of Naruto fanfics but never got around to writing any of them. To be honest, those days probably started my love of world building and character building. I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Thanks xx**

That Monday Roze stayed home, staring at the ceiling as she laid in bed with an IV running fluids. She'd be stuck there for the next hour until her mother came home on her lunch break to free her. Kushina had come in early in the morning to hook her up. Roze was getting tired of needles and hospital visits.

On Friday after the incident the doctors had decided the state she was in was caused by dehydration. Lack of fluids caused her body to go into a shocked state due to the medicine and how it works. They explained it to her mother but Roze didn't understand any of it. The only thing she kept thinking about was the fact she cut her brother's practice short because her body was a mess. If only she wasn't here… He could have stayed late, maybe even gone out to dinner with his new teammates. If only she'd died when she was six instead of getting rescued.

Roze's phone vibrated on her chest. Even though she was right handed she had learned how to text left handed because of how often she had an IV or needle put in, she never liked bending her arm or moving her hand when it came to IVs.

Sasuke had texted her a few times since Friday but she couldn't find the energy to respond. Naruto had said he was useless when she had her episode, but she couldn't really blame him or even Ami. When someone doesn't have to deal with these things daily, it can be scary. The unknown frightens everyone.

Her door creaked open and her mother approached her bed. "Hey honey, how you holding up?" Kushina smiled, her voice softer than usual. Once the IV was removed Roze hopped up. "Happy to be freed from my ball and chain." Kushina laughed, kissing the top of her head. "Come on downstairs. I'll make us some lunch."

The day continued to drag on. Roze made small talk with her mother during lunch. Minato came home around two and Naruto had soccer practice today. Roze stared out the window, watching dark clouds slowly roll in. Around five an unfamiliar black car pulled into the driveway. Roze watched her brother get out of the passenger side. He talked for a few minutes to the person in the front seat. The car shut off and Sasuke got out of the driver side and they both started for the front door. Pursing her lips she turned back to her book.

"Hey! I'm home. Dad. The car wouldn't start so Sasuke offered to give me a ride home." Minato looked up from his spot at the kitchen table. "Thank you Sasuke. I guess I should call a tow truck, or maybe I can get out there and fix it…" Minato mumbled to himself gathering his things. "Your mom's gonna be home a little late so Roze is cooking tonight." Their father called as he went out the front door. Naruto cheered. Seeing Roze curled in the window seat he ran over. "What's for dinner? Can Sasuke stay for dinner?" Roze smiled laughing. Sasuke and Naruto's eyes widened. The three of them looked at each other. "Roze! You laughed!?" Roze nodded looking perplexed. She coughed a few times, rubbing her chest. A slight pain starting. "Don't tell mom or dad okay? I don't want them to get too excited." Naruto nodded. The two looked at Sasuke who put his hands up. "None of my business." Was all he said shoving his hands in his pockets.

When Roze had finished cooking and the boys set the table Minato and Kushina arrived home one after the other. "And who is this?" Kushina said, taking her seat at the table and eyeing Sasuke. "Honey he gave Naruto a ride home since the car wasn't starting. Sasuke, right?" Sasuke nodded, clearing his throat. "Sasuke Uchiha ma'am."

"Uchiha… Is your mother Mikoto Uchiha?" Kushina looked up thoughtfully, tapping her finger on her chin. "You must work at the hospital." Sasuke said flatly. A silence fell over the table. Roze slumped into her chair. "The food is great Rozey!" Naruto said through a mouthful of food. "Is something wrong with your mom?" Roze got Sasuke's attention asking him. His eyes softened, and he nodded. "She's… frail. So my father and brother say."

"You have a brother?" Roze bounced a little in her seat. "How old?" Sasuke chuckled watching her get excited. "Don't get too worked up sweetheart and finish your food. It's almost eight." Kushina chided. With a thoughtful look she turned to Sasuke, "Your mother misses you." Sasuke stayed silent.

The rest of dinner was had in silence. Sasuke helped Kushina collect the dishes. He paused watching Naruto and Roze. Roze propped herself against a pillow on the floor. She left dinner to shower and get ready for bed which Sasuke found odd. It was only just before eight and she was in high school. "Naruto is about to give her a shot, she takes one every night at eight." Kushina watched Roze getting settled on the couch. "The last few times she's gotten the shot she's passed out." Roze saw Sasuke looking at her and smiled, waving him over. "Want to watch? I hate needles so I usually don't." Sasuke knelt down beside her. "Are you coming to school tomorrow?" Roze thoughtfully tapped her chin then glanced at her mom. "If she lets me."

Sasuke nodded glancing back at Kushina. She had her back to them, washing dishes. "Alright sis, ready?" Naruto came around the corner with a syringe in hand. Roze's face went pale but she nodded. As Naruto administered the shot Roze grabbed for Sasuke's hand, she squeezed tight holding her eyes closed. When her grip loosened he watched her head lull to the side her bangs moving to reveal a faint bruise. "It sucks you know, she can't help but need people. She hates having to rely on me."

"Well thank you for helping these two out and staying for dinner. Is it alright if I let your mom know I saw you?" Kushina stood at the door seeing Sasuke out as Naruto carried his sister up the stairs. "Yeah… tell her I'm sorry." Kushina held his gaze, worry in her eyes. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Sasuke nodded his eyes flickering to the stairs once before turning to go.

"He seemed nice." Minato said from his spot at the table. Setting his pen down he gratefully took the cup his wife held out to him. "He's a good boy from what Mikoto tells me. I never thought my old best friend would be in this town. It's strange…" Kushina paused staring at her cup. She had to head back up to the hospital soon. "I'm worried Mikoto is wrapped up in something dangerous." Minato held her steady gaze.

"Temari! Naruto and Sasuke's first game is today!" Roze ran smack into Temari as the bell rang for last period to start. Roze bounced up and down excitedly. "Hey hey slow down slow down, write it down kid. Is it the game tonight?" Roze nodded enthusiastically pulling out her sketch pad. "Roze, Temari. I'm glad you both are here." Kurenai approached them with Gaara and Tsunade in tow. "I have a request for the three of you." Tsunade's booming voice made Roze wince. The three followed Tsunade out of the class room and down the hall to the main entrance. "Temari I know you just finished a small mural in the teachers lounge but I was hoping that maybe, with the help of these two, you could paint this wall." The wall was approximately two floors in height. Tsunade had brought them to the main entrance of the building where the stair case was. "I was thinking a nature scene but you three have free reign. Just run the idea by me first. Optimally I'd like it to be done over the summer vacation, that should be plenty of time." Tsunade nodded staring at the wall with her hands on her hips. Shizune sped walked up to her with a clipboard in hand. "Tsunade can you please sign these, and your meeting is starting at three."

"Yes thank you." She turned to them. "Since you'll be doing this we'll pay you. You'll be spending time in your last block helping Temari form and idea and get the prep done so when classes let out in a month you can start." With that Tsunade walked off leaving them in the hall.

The first thing Temari wanted was a measurement of the wall. It took time to find a ladder tall enough, Gaara didn't speak most of the time. The wall was pretty dusty and covered in old and dated portraits of past head of departments. Most of their class time was spent following Temari's instructions. She was super focused so Roze just happily did as she was told, getting more excited as they started brainstorming ideas to paint the mural. "This should be fun." Temari looked at the sketches they had spread out with a happy nod. "We'll have a lot more prep to do but we can't do anything much until we have a final idea. Good job you guys."

Class was ending soon and they were focusing on cleaning up. Gaara and Roze carefully carried the ladder back to the large shed by the soccer field. Gaara stood beside Roze as she looked over the soccer field looking for her brother. "Roze. Hide." Startled Roze followed Gaara's instructions without question. "You. Kid." Ami's grating voice met Roze's ears. She was grateful Gaara had told her to hide. "Where's the other red headed freak?" Gaara just stared at Ami who took a fist full of his shirt. "Lady Ami. Is this the red head you were speaking of?" Gaara hit the ground. Ami huffed checking her nails. "No. It's a female. No big deal. We'll find her."

Ami and her bodyguard looking friend headed back towards the school. Roze ran out helping Gaara up, brushing the dirt off his back. "Are you okay? Thanks for helping hide me." Gaara stood looking back to the school. "It's probably best you don't go back to the classroom. I'll get Temri to grab our things." Gaara pulled out his phone typing out a quick message. Roze couldn't understand why Ami was looking for her or had a scary companion, but she was certain her intentions weren't good.

Roze and Gaara made their way around the soccer field to where the boy's team was practicing. Spotting her brother Roze ran over tackling him in a hug. "Whoa, hey sis." They both wobbled back crashing to the ground. "Ew, you're sweaty." Roze smile scrunching her nose up and wiping at her arms. Kiba picked her up while Shikamaru helped Naruto up. "Well duh!" Naruto chugged some more water as the team gathered around the two red heads. "You two could easily pass as twins with that wild red hair." Roze stuck out her tongue slinging an arm around Gaara's shoulder. Everyone laughed as Naruto pouted.

Coach Gai clapped his hands commanding everyone's attention as he approached. Tonight was the big game starting at 5:30 sharp. The team was to report back at five. Naruto had made plans to go to dinner with the team so Roze decided she'd tag along with Temari and her siblings.

"So I hear you have Ami looking for you. I'm not gonna lie dude, that's a little scary." Temari talked as she pulled into the parking lot of a small café. Kankuro leaned up from the backseat. "Dude they have the best pancakes." Roze smiled rubbing her stomach. She had skipped lunch that day avoiding the cafeteria. "So what's the deal with Ami?" Temari and Kankuro exchanged a glance. "Well there's a lot of rumor and speculation, but Ami is the daughter of your homeroom teacher Kakashi." Kankuro nodded adding "But she's a spoiled brat. People say she's involved in some shady shit. Supposedly she's working with the Uchiha kid's father." Roze pursed her lips taking it all in. They sat in a back booth. Roze was craving coffee. "But wait. What's wrong with Sasuke's dad?" The table fell silent, Temari and Kankuro intently staring at their menus. "His father is a mob boss." Gaara finally spoke


	4. Vapor

*****TRIGGER WARNING*****

 **I repeat. Trigger warning. This deals with kidnapping, suicide, desperation. From this point on in the story, you have been warned.**

 **Thanks for reading~**

"But I thought he was chief of police?" Roze set her menu down, no longer focused on her coffee craving. The air was tense. Every sound from the kitchen seemed to reverberate in her head like a warning bell. "Well… yeah." Temari gave a sad smile. Roze had never met Sasuke's father but her parents had mentioned him. When she went to town she always saw him strolling around city hall. "But if the chief of police is corrupt and everybody knows it… then why…?" Kankuro sighed kicking back in his seat. The waitress came and took their orders breaking the momentum of the conversation. Roze stared intently, waiting for an answer.

"Look. The mayor… Our dad isn't the best guy. He's rolling in dirty money, but as far as we know they have a partnership. They're planning something big." Roze nodded looking thoughtfully at each of the siblings. "Our mom died shortly after I was born." Gaara spoke up. "I think… Our father is doing all this because of that." Temari and Kankuro looked surprised but then nodded, deep in thought.

The café was mostly empty. The only other customers were a couple of old ladies sitting at the bar table looking out the window. "This… this is some pretty heavy stuff." Roze finally settled on that picking up her coffee. So mafia. How does one deal with the mafia? Or a corrupt leader for that matter?

Did Naruto know? Or her parents? Her mom worked at the hospital looking over Sasuke's mom. "You know, my mom just told me her and Sasuke's mother were best friends through highschool and college." Temari nodded. "Honestly that and the fact you are friends with us might be the best protection you have, unless Ami is acting on her own." Could her mom be involved in any of this? She was sure her mother would have warned her about Sasuke earlier had she known.

"Listen. I know you're super determined to see the game, but please don't wander far from me." Temari grabbed Roze's arm in hers as they navigated the crowd. Roze was half paying attention, taking in the sights and smells. At her old school football was the sport people really showed up for, it was refreshing to see so much support for the soccer team. She knew Naruto was excited. From what he told her there was a lot of hype about the new up coming rookie team. The team that had just graduated were super talented and went on to earn lots of trophies and scholarships, so all eyes were on their performance tonight.

The stands were packed, and the smell of popcorn filled the air. Roze wasn't much of a sports fan but the atmosphere than came with sporting events she had a fondness for, that charged air that came with game night. Roze saw the boys practicing out on the field and tugged Temari over to the edge. Coach Gai gave an enthusiastic hello as they approached. The team huddled up as the visiting side started running warm up drill. Roze waved bouncing on her toes as Sasuke and Naruto walked up to the two of them. Temari gave Sasuke a skeptical up and down look cocking her hip to the side settling her hand that wasn't locked in Roze's on her hip. "Uchiha." Sasuke looked at her blankly hands resting behind his head. "Temari."

Roze watched between the two of them worry etched into her features. "Hey guys, it's game night. Let's just have fun?" Naruto stepped up between the two offering an easy smile. "Fine." Temari relented. "Roze is way too excited for this anyway. Good luck out there." Temari offered a smile. Roze let out a sigh of relief giving both the boys a thumbs up as they retreated back to the field.

As Roze's eyes roamed the scene she clung to Temari's arm, trusting her to guide them back through the crowd. It didn't take long for a body to collide with Roze causing her to lose grip on Temari's arm. "Hey. Watch it!" A tall man in a black suit towered over her. Roze bowed in apology and attempted to dart around him to get back to Temari. "I don't think so." The guy took hold of her arm, his fingers clamping down like a vice grip. The color drained from her face as she tried with increasing desperation to pull free but to no avail. The guard began to drag her and talk into a small ear piece. Roze looked around, eyes darted wildly in an attempt at catching someone's eye, to get anyone's attention.

The crowd blurred by, Roze's heartbeat hammered in her chest. The pain came back, the smell of burning flesh filling her nose. She heard a scream. Faces around her began turning her way. The pain in her arm vanished. It wasn't until Temari was in front of her wrapping her arms around her that she realized it was herself that was screaming. Tasting blood Roze coughed. The crowd around them had opened to form a circle. Kankuro and Gaara were standing over the bodyguard who was now lying on the ground. Roze heard Temari talking, muffled at first. "Hey, hey now. You're okay. I've got you." Roze sighed coughing again realizing her body was quivering. "Let's get away from the crowd." Temari lead Roze to the edge of the parking lot and handed her a bottle of water.

Roze drank greedily, her eyes scanning the soccer field for that familiar stalk of blonde hair. "What was that?" Temari asked as the game picked up. Roze watched as Naruto made a pass to Sasuke earning a cheer when he scored a goal. Finally she shrugged, chugging more water. Among the crowd Roze spotted her dad and wondered if her mother was still at the hospital. "I'm not sure. I don't want my mom or dad getting too worked up over small signs of recovery. It's been eleven years." Roze signed out each letter. It had been difficult teaching Temari at first, the most complex signs were hard for her but at least the alphabet she had down perfect.

The two of them decided to keep away from the crowd, leaning against the hood of Temari's car. Eleven years ago, Roze never would have imagined she would be where she was today, not like many people would. There was so much going on: the mural was being planned out, Ami was being a vengeful brat, and Sasuke was a part of a mafia family. "Maybe that's why Sasuke has been keeping his distance." Roze glanced at Temari. It was peaceful over by the parking lot, the crowd's buzz falling to a nice rumble. Soothing like a summer storm. There were so many things to think about but all Roze wanted was to stay in the now. Watch the game and see her brother win his first game of the season. "So what do you think of Sasuke after learning all of this? The way you described it, it felt like he was a bit sweet on you." Roze scrunched her nose. What did she think of Sasuke? He was nice to her. The first few weeks he'd really kept her company after she kept clear of the cafeteria. Sometimes he'd bring her sweets or small stuff like that but Roze hadn't thought much beyond that.

Temari stood abruptly shoving Roze behind her. "Taken to hiding freaks Temari?" Ami stood with two bodyguard flanking her on either side, one of which still had a slightly bloodied nose. "Listen Temari. We can do this the easy way or the hard way." Ami shifted her weight, throwing a smile. "I'm always open to negotiations."

"Alright. How about leave before I A.) Kick your ass or B.) See what my father thinks of you threatening my friends." A hand clamped over Roze's mouth with a cloth. The silver haired girl gave a short laugh before turning a serious look on Temari. The bodyguards each cracked their knuckles. Roze desperately tried reaching for Temari but each breath made her movement more sluggish.

Her sight blurring, she reached out for Temari with all her strength, but blackness took over.

 **Flashback~**

"Roze you're such a crybaby." A six-year-old Naruto huffed as large tears slide down Roze's face. It was summer vacation and the two kids were at the park playing. "If you don't stop crying I'll leave you here."

"Please don't leave me." Roze began to wail, her face turning the same color as her hair. "What's the matter here?" A pale man with dark features approached. "Nothing mister. My sister just fell and scraped her knee." The man smiled kneeling down to examine Roze's knee. "This is pretty deep. Are your parents around? Why don't you go get her a bandaid?" Naruto nodded enthusiastically running towards their house. Roze sniffled looking up at the man with bright eyes. The man reached out, picking her up with ease.

A little pin prick caught Roze's attention, cuasing tears to well back up. Looking to her leg a syringe was sticking out. She started to scream but the noise died in her throat.

 **End~**

"What were you thinking?" Voices woke her. The ropes around her were tight. No matter how much she struggled they wouldn't budge. The tape covering her mouth was claustrophobically close to her nose. The room she was in was dark, empty. Turning on her back the only light was from a sliver under the door. Two shadows passed. "Where is she?" The voice sounded familiar. A deep male's voice. Warm.

She tried to think but the tight ropes were sending her into a panic.

 **Flashback~**

Dirt. The smell of dirt. Damp dirt. There were others huddled there in the darkness. No one dared speak. How many days had it been? Was anyone going to find her? One of the girls cried out, the open wound on her leg turning a sickly black color the stark white bone showing. The smell made her nauseous.

In total five girls were huddled around her, the pain in her stomach bringing tears to her eyes. A piercing scream ripped through the silence. The smell of burning flesh soon following. "I don't wanna die!" One of the girls screamed. Roze froze. The door creaked open. A pale man with dark features tossed a small brunette in and with a smile dragged out the screaming girl. Time ticked by. Screaming. Crying. Gagging noises. Then silence.

"I want to go home." A girl sobbed.

The door creaked once more. No girl returned. The pale man loomed over them reaching for the girl who sobbed louder. "No please." She squeaked through strained vocal chords. Long legs and arms flailed weakly as she was dragged away, one of her hands clawing Roze's arm as she passed, barely able to grip her. Roze stayed silent, clamping her mouth shut tight as she was drug across the ground. The girl clawing at her arms, fear in her eyes. When the man turned to find her, he smiled. "What a good girl." He purred separating her from the sobbing girl. "You stay right here." He said cinching a loop of rope tight to her wrist.

He began his work. The screams were deafening. Blood running down into a drain a few feet from Roze. Slowly she slid down the wall clawing at her wrist then giving up covering her ears.

 **End~**

How long had she been laying there? Her shoulder and hip ached. Rolling over on her back came with much pain. There were no windows or natural light. Passage of time was useless to calculate. Was anyone looking for her?

Footsteps periodically passed but she hadn't heard that boy's voice again. Her mind started to wander, whatever it took to take her away. As she lay there she started to wonder why she was alive. Alive only to get caught repeatedly. Only a game for others. Only a burden for others. Poked with needles, prodded, and experimented on. She stared at the sliver of light wishing it to become a bright yellow sun. She imagined each time a shadow passed it was day turning to night. Over and over.

At least.

This time.

There was

No screaming.

Just

Silence.


	5. My Own Worst Enemy

*****Trigger Warning*****

* * *

 **Earlier~**

"Congratulations Naruto!" Minato ruffled Naruto's hair as the team came off the field after a big game. Naruto beamed at him then looked around. "Where's mom? Or Roze?" Minato shook his head. "Your mom is stuck at the hospital. I thought I saw Roze earlier with the mayor's kids." Naruto nodded shrugging off his worry. His teammates surrounded him and Sasuke lifting them up. They high fived cheering. "Dude. Our team work was bad ass!" Sasuke smirked. "Yeah but I did all the work." Naruto huffed giving Sasuke the finger but following it up with a grin. From up here he looked over the crowd searching for red hair.

"Sasuke have you seen Roze?" Back in the locker room the team had a quick debrief and were dismissed. "No…" The panic Naruto saw pass through Sasuke face lasted for a split second, but it sent his own heart racing. She needed her medicine soon. A familiar dread filled his stomach.

No.

No.

Naruto began to run to his father when Sasuke took his wrist in a tight grip. Sasuke looked to see if everyone had left the locker room as Naruto started to fight against his grip. "Let me go Sasuke. My sister is nowhere to be found. She needs her medicine. She needed me and I wasn't there again!" Naruto froze. Slowly he sunk to his knees staring at the ground. Realization hitting him like an unforgiving sea.

"Naruto. Listen to me. There's too much to explain and not enough time. I'm going to need you to trust me." Naruto met Sasuke's gaze. The two stared at each other intently. Naruto's lips parted. With a determined look her nodded, awaiting what Sasuke was going to say.

"I think I know where she is."

* * *

Temari awoke on the cold concrete. A blonde male that looked a lot like Naruto was knelt beside her. Temari jumped up looking around in bewilderment. "Temari right? I'm Roze's dad. I saw you two together earlier. Do you know where she is? It's almost time for her to take her medicine." Temari stared opened mouthed at Roze's dad. Tears filled her eyes. "I… I don't know. A bunch of guys came and took her and…" Temari took a deep breath forcing her tears back. Roze's dad's face paled. He opened and closed his mouth. "No." His voice croaked out.

 **Flashback~**

He'd taken a liking to her.

Her and her long red hair. He would tie her to a chair to watch quietly as he worked. It smelled like a hospital, everything was spotless except for the corner where a metal table sat. The pale man with dark features was leaned over the table. It was a small blonde girl this time… or her hair was blonde.

The numbers had dwindled. Only Roze, the small blonde, and a one-legged brunette were left. Although with the amount of blood rushing like a river down the drain Roze was sure the little blonde wouldn't be around much longer. The screams kept her up at night. Her eyes burned, head bobbing as her eyes slipped closed for a second then snapped immediately open. Roze eyed the sharp metal sticking out near her, her mind only able to process one thing.

The need for escape.

Reaching out the metal nipped at her fingers just inches out of reach.

Closer.

Just a little closer.

The chair teetered back and forth. Her grip slipping but not keeping the metal from biting in her skin each time she missed until her fingers were sticky with red. The metal biting deeper and deeper with each attempt.

Escape.

Escape…

 **End~**

* * *

"Roze. Hey."

That same warm voice. Dark like velvet, warm like sunshine. Roze's eyes opened to blinding lights, blinking hard as tears poured down. A shadowy figured appeared over her, reaching out. Panic set in the tears coming faster as she trashed.

"Hey. It's okay."

The voice was soft. She stilled, blinking hard. The hand pulled the tape from her face. She took a deep breath, then another. "Please." She croaked out. "No more pain." Coughing blood, it speckled the carpet. Each swallow bringing a copper taste with it.

The ropes loosened. Roze stayed limp, relaxing her tight muscles. She kept her eyes closed revealing in the comfort of no longer being tied up. Strong arms lifted her, but she couldn't care to open her eyes. A small part of her screamed to open her eyes. Survival instinct yet to be beat out of her dulling pulsing in her system. Everything hurt and all she tasted blood. The lights were too bright, bringing with them a headache.

The man sat, careful not to jostle her. "Here. Drink." Roze's fingers twitched, but she made no other movement. "God did that bitch leave you in there all this time with nothing?" She flinched at his raised voice. Glass was pressed to her lips as water slowly trickled down her throat. The more she drank the less her muscles ached.

After some time she gripped the glass herself downing every drop. Cautiously she opened her eyes blinking furiously as her eyes watered. The room came into focus. There were large windows framed in dark black curtains. The walls were deep blue, and all the furniture was black. Glancing up she noticed the canopy of a bed. Turning her head, she met coal black eyes. Sasuke?

"I know you're probably confused. I'm so sorry for what Ami and my family has done. You have no idea how long it took me to even get you out of there." His face contorted like he'd eaten a sour lemon. Roze shifted, reaching up to poke his forehead. "Relax." She signed. "I've woken to worse outcomes." She smiled weakly. Sasuke looked even more pained. "Naruto and your father mentioned something like that." He fell silent, setting her on the bed. "I'll go get you food. No one enters my room, so you'll be safe." Roze nodded her eyes following as he exited the door. Her body still ached. As she slumped over the scent of Sasuke's sheets gave here a sense of comfort. It was much better than the floor or being tied up and relaxed her just enough to close her eyes.

* * *

"She's where?!" Kushina screeched. Naruto fought flinching. Sasuke said to trust him so he was. They stood around Mikoto Uchiha's hospital bed. Minato, Kushina, and Temari all listening intently. "So that's the situation ma'am." Naruto turned to Mikoto who had been sitting silently the whole time. "I'm so sorry K. I never would have imagined this would happen." Mikoto shook her head.

"Did Sasuke say why they wanted her?" Temari asked Naruto. Her arm was wrapped in a sling. Last night she had been checked into the hospital as a precaution and turns out her wrist was sprained. Other than that, and a few bruises she was mostly okay. With a deep sigh Naruto continued. "There are a few. It has to do mostly with Ami, but the fact she takes his brother's company's experimental medicine is part of it…. There's also another thing." The room seemed to hold its breath. Everyone leaning forward to hear what he said next. "He said that, maybe, it had something to do with eleven years ago."

Kushina huffed sitting on the edge of the bed. Minato wrapped his arms around her shoulders as she buried her head in his stomach.

* * *

When Roze awoke music was playing. Sitting up she scanned the unfamiliar space rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Good you're awake." Sasuke walked through the doors carrying a small silver tray. He set it down across her lap. Assorted fruits littered the plate. "I have no idea what you eat or like." Sasuke was focusing on the window. Light was slowly disappearing. "I guess I should explain now…" Sasuke began filling her in on what happened after she was taken from the soccer game, assuring her Temari was okay. Ami wanted Roze out of her way and to do that she had their group look up information on Roze. Thanks to that Roze became a person of interest for the Uchiha family based on what they found. One of which being the fact Roze had been taking the medicine his brother's company produced. They wanted a subject for close observation. He didn't seem happy, the worry deeply etched in his face. "But it's been three days and the medicine should be out of your system. I recommend you don't take anymore." He talked about his family for a while, it was the most she had ever heard him speak. Generally, at school he kept to short answers.

He explained he would try his best to get her home soon, but all he had managed so far was for them to allow him to keep watch over you. "I'm sorry to unload so much information on you. I just realized this is the first time we've spoke outside of school. Your cooking is amazing by the way." Roze smiled patting Sasuke's head, he seemed like a little kid with far too much on his mind. "Sasuke Uchiha, son of a corrupt police chief." Roze forced herself to speak, her voice was rough with years of not being used. Sasuke froze, his mouth falling open a small bit. "I guess it is true, my father is forcing my brother to abuse those in need of medicine." He shook his head reaching to grab Roze's hand and hold it in both of his. "I am so, so sorry."

Roze cleared her throat a few times. "Maybe so but I am sure it helped in some way. If anything it gave me those years to deal with what happened in silence." Sasuke opened his eyes, meeting hers in a long stare. "What happened to make you need this kind of medicine anyway?"

Roze gave a sad smile. Even in therapy she never spoke or wrote about anything. Never in her diary. Never to another soul. The memories of those days were tight in her mind. She wanted to open her mouth again, to recount the things that happened to her.

"I'm afraid."

Sasuke squeezed her hand. A tight smile pulling the corners of his mouth. "I wish I could say I will protect you. I wish that Ami would have never bothered you. I'm so sorry this is all my fault for going up to you at lunch that day."

Roze frowned. She pulled her hand away from Sasuke's tight grip. Standing she wobbled then paced to the large window. The sun was long gone. The moon high in the sky. She looked around the room agan. Shelves covered in albums of all kinds. There was a large TV and gaming system. A single bookshelf held mostly school textbooks, but a few fantasy novels she recognized.

"I was sure that I'd spend the rest of my life never speaking again. It wasn't until half a year ago that I noticed I could laugh or make small sounds. The nights when the medicine would keep me up instead of knocking me out I'd stay up in my room and write out all the replies I could never say." There was a stretch of silence. Clasping her hands together Roze took a deep breath turning to Sasuke. "When I was six, a pale man with dark features took me far away." Roze recounted the events. How she was playing in the park with Naruto. How the sun felt in those moments. The pain of her knee that still held a scar.

As she fell into recounting the screams. The little girls' faces covered in dirt and grime. Open wounds that would fester and bleed. Being to afraid to speak or sleep long after those days. Her voice began to die as she fought to keep speaking. Deep breaths fighting to become short gasps until she was knelt in silence.

Sasuke pulled her close unsure of what else to do, her shaking was visible from across the room. Who was he to stop her after he just spilled his guts to her in a frustrated rant. She didn't still for a long time and her fingers remained gripped in his shirt.

* * *

"So what's the status of the girl you decided to recklessly steal?" A taller man with dark hair and a lab coat addressed Ami as she filed her nails. "Your stupid father let Sasuke hold onto her. The whole fucking point was to separate the two but of course the freak has a past with your guys." Ami huffed throwing her metal nail file into the wall across the room. The man turned a distasteful grimace to the wall. "Can you refrain from destroying my office like you destroy everything else?"

"Ooooo someone's touchy today. What's got your panties in a bunch Itachi?" Ami wiggled her eye brows as she kicked her feet back and forth. She was perched on the edge of a table in Itachi's home office. He'd been working nonstop analyzing the girl's blood. When she was fist brought in he checked her over and took blood samples. According to test samples so far she didn't need this excess medication she had been receiving. There was an anomaly in her blood that he needed to delve further into. "Don't tell me you're obsessed with the red headed bitch too? God your family has some shit taste."

Itachi didn't have the energy to cut a biting glare at her. From the time he spent with her he knew if he ignored her long enough she'd go away eventually. His computer beeped, a few other tests had just finished. Itachi's eyebrows shot up as he scanned the paper once more.

"I need to go."


End file.
